NMSU Football Falls At BYU

PROVO, UT - The New Mexico State football team made a trip to Provo, Utah to take on fellow independent Brigham Young University on a cold Saturday night inside of LaVell Edwards Stadium. After the Aggies scored first, the Cougars went on to outscore the team 45-3 as the Crimson & White fell on the road, 45-10.

Both NM State (3-8) and BYU (6-5) were forced to punt on a three-and-out for their first drives of the game. Then the Aggie offense got rolling on its next possession. Following three third-down conversions, Christian Gibson broke off a 13-yard rush into the red zone. Sitting 17 yards out, Josh Adkins went on to find Drew Dan who made a remarkable catch in the back corner of the end zone for a touchdown to put NM State up 7-0. This scoring drive spanned 85 yards and lasted 4:27 as the Aggies got on the board.

After forcing another three-and-out for the Cougars, the Crimson & White looked to get back on the board. However, after a fourth down was forced, the 47-yard field goal attempt came up short to keep the lead at just seven points.

On the next series, NM State looked to move down the field but BYU got an interception on a tipped pass and took over just 15 yards from the end zone. The Cougars then capped off their next series with a one-yard touchdown rush to tie the game up at 7-7 before the opening quarter came to a close.

The Aggies first drive of the second quarter saw the team move onto the Cougars side of the field, but then another interception gave BYU possession at its own 23-yard line. The opponent then looked to capitalize on another turnover and did so on a 40-yard touchdown rush that put NM State behind 14-7.

BYU continued its unanswered run with scores on its final three drives of the half. The two touchdown scores came on rushes from 15 and 13-yards out to put the Cougars ahead of the Aggies 28-7. Then in the waning seconds of the first half, BYU knocked down a 23-yard field goal and NM State trailed 31-7 heading to the locker room at halftime.

The Cougars continued to increase the Aggies deficit after taking over following a missed field goal for the Crimson & White. BYU moved 78 yards down the field and finished the drive with a 14-yard touchdown rush to put NM State down 38-7.

On fourth down of the next series for the Aggies, a short punt ricocheted off a Cougar special team’s player and NM State recovered the ball at the BYU 30. Then on 4th & 10, the field goal unit once again took the field and this time knocked down a 33-yard attempt to put the score at 38-10 heading into the fourth quarter.

The first drive of the fourth quarter for BYU saw the opposition get back on the board. A 50-yard rush followed by a 21-yard pass set up a two-yard touchdown rush that put NM State behind 45-10 with 13:09 left in the game.

That score stood for the remainder of the contest as the Aggies fell on the road to the Cougars, 45-10, on Saturday night in Utah.

New Mexico State now looks to end the season on a high note with the final game of the year coming on the road against Liberty in Lynchburg, Va. on Saturday, Nov. 24, at 12 p.m. MT. This is the second meeting of the season between the Aggies and Flames with NM State coming out on top 49-41 inside of Aggie Memorial Stadium on Oct. 6.

NOTABLES
- Naveon Mitchell made his first appearance in the Crimson & White as a punt returner.
- Ray Buford Jr. made his first career interception with NM State with the pick in the end zone during the fourth quarter.
- Josh Adkins set a new career-high in passing attempts with 61, topping his previous high of 59 set at Texas State on 10/27/18.